ASSETS: Plays with an all-out hustle that gets him noticed by his coaching staff. Can play either wing position. Has good size and decent offensive ability.

FLAWS: Isn't great in the defensive zone. Needs to perform with greater consistency at the highest level. Must be more disciplined and not take bad penalties.

CAREER POTENTIAL: Depth winger.

CapGeek lists Jones as a $975,000 cap hit through the end of next year.

Some quick twitter reactions...

Gregor: Grabbing Jones means the Oilers have 14 forwards...so they can move two and still have 12 for tonight...two vets for picks, makes sense?

Willis: I'm a fan of the Jones pick-up. With any luck he takes Jacques' spot in the lineup next season.

Stay tuned for more from Gregor, Brownlee & Willis. And checkout the Jean Lefebvre's liveblog over at FlamesNation for up to the minute commentary on deadline day.

A hockey-crazed Flames fan living in Oil Country, he was born & raised to hate the Oilers from day 1. Since he couldn't cut it as a player, and his dream jobs of 'NHL Insider', NHL General Manager, or Snoop Dogg 'advisor' aren't currently options, a lifetime of "internetting" awaits. For the latest hockey talk, along with all kinds of Flames & Oilers chatter, you can follow on twitter.com/FortShox.

I don't know much about Johnson, @ RC: Can he be a relatively effective 3rd pairing physical D?

Does it really matter? LOL.

Ah... he's a capable 7th defenseman a la Strudwick, I guess. No higher than 6.

I like the swap of players from a Flames perspective. Giving up the 3rd rounder, especially given the fact Staios has another year left @ 2.7, really hurts. Not moving Sarich's 3.6 coupled with adding Staios' 2.7... EPIC FAIL

Ah... he's a capable 7th defenseman a la Strudwick, I guess. No higher than 6.

I like the swap of players from a Flames perspective. Giving up the 3rd rounder, especially given the fact Staios has another year left @ 2.7, really hurts. Not moving Sarich's 3.6 coupled with adding Staios' 2.7... EPIC FAIL

No higher than 6th on the Oil, or no higher than 6th on a big boy NHL team?

Ah... he's a capable 7th defenseman a la Strudwick, I guess. No higher than 6.

I like the swap of players from a Flames perspective. Giving up the 3rd rounder, especially given the fact Staios has another year left @ 2.7, really hurts. Not moving Sarich's 3.6 coupled with adding Staios' 2.7... EPIC FAIL

Ah... he's a capable 7th defenseman a la Strudwick, I guess. No higher than 6.

I like the swap of players from a Flames perspective. Giving up the 3rd rounder, especially given the fact Staios has another year left @ 2.7, really hurts. Not moving Sarich's 3.6 coupled with adding Staios' 2.7... EPIC FAIL

I'm sorry are you suggesting that Studwick is a "capable" 7th defenceman?

i think I'm officially in panic mode! I know we had to get rid of salary, but I never thought we'd get rid of our best defencemen and one of our younger defencemen. Now we are putting our trust in the hope that the Oilers can draft well? oh boy!

it makes me think that the conversation RB had with Hemmer regarding Jagr and the other czech dude might be our plan...but that still doesn't address our dmen problem! I mean we have people like Eberle, MPS, and Hall (maybe) coming for next year...no defenders...where are we going to find dmen for our rebuild? Is there a plan for the dmen?

i think I'm officially in panic mode! I know we had to get rid of salary, but I never thought we'd get rid of our best defencemen and one of our younger defencemen. Now we are putting our trust in the hope that the Oilers can draft well? oh boy!

it makes me think that the conversation RB had with Hemmer regarding Jagr and the other czech dude might be our plan...but that still doesn't address our dmen problem! I mean we have people like Eberle, MPS, and Hall (maybe) coming for next year...no defenders...where are we going to find dmen for our rebuild? Is there a plan for the dmen?

Do you require that it all happens right this minute? Kind of unrealistic, don't you think?

You are right, maybe I need to be patient and see how it unfolds. But the way I see it, we'll either have to trade for or sign dmen in the offseason, and we all know how well signing players in the off season went for us last year...at least if we got rid of Moreau and Pisani and O'sullivan or whoever else was rumoured to be going, we knew that Eberle and MSP and (maybe) Hall were waiting to take their spots. But we really have no one in the AHL to take NHL dmen spots...so I guess I'm a bit worried that we don't have a plan. But you are right...I guess we should just wait and see...

You just know that lowe and tambo are working on a ridiculous deal for Jagr that will pay him huge $$$ well into his 50's and to trade that #1 pick away for the negotiating rights to some other KHL star.... Enjoy that cap space while it lasts, it will get pissed away very soon...

i think I'm officially in panic mode! I know we had to get rid of salary, but I never thought we'd get rid of our best defencemen and one of our younger defencemen. Now we are putting our trust in the hope that the Oilers can draft well? oh boy!

it makes me think that the conversation RB had with Hemmer regarding Jagr and the other czech dude might be our plan...but that still doesn't address our dmen problem! I mean we have people like Eberle, MPS, and Hall (maybe) coming for next year...no defenders...where are we going to find dmen for our rebuild? Is there a plan for the dmen?

~pppppppaaaaaaannnnnniiiiiiiiiiccccccccccccc!!!!

honestly, big picture... c'mon now, deep breath....

the oilers got younger and cheaper today, which was the goal. this team is in last place with lubo. by the time the team is good, he aint gonna be.

cap space+ top 2 draft pick= potential for rebuild.

all of this, of course, is under the assumption tambo and the crew dont **** it up.

You are right, maybe I need to be patient and see how it unfolds. But the way I see it, we'll either have to trade for or sign dmen in the offseason, and we all know how well signing players in the off season went for us last year...at least if we got rid of Moreau and Pisani and O'sullivan or whoever else was rumoured to be going, we knew that Eberle and MSP and (maybe) Hall were waiting to take their spots. But we really have no one in the AHL to take NHL dmen spots...so I guess I'm a bit worried that we don't have a plan. But you are right...I guess we should just wait and see...

Well more trades can still happen as well as possible signings..but everyone will have to realize that signings will have to be overpayments in order to get them...

Also who is to say that having Souray, Whitney, Gilbert, Peckham, Chorney and insert name (maybe Hamhuis) is all that bad next year.

i think I'm officially in panic mode! I know we had to get rid of salary, but I never thought we'd get rid of our best defencemen and one of our younger defencemen. Now we are putting our trust in the hope that the Oilers can draft well? oh boy!

it makes me think that the conversation RB had with Hemmer regarding Jagr and the other czech dude might be our plan...but that still doesn't address our dmen problem! I mean we have people like Eberle, MPS, and Hall (maybe) coming for next year...no defenders...where are we going to find dmen for our rebuild? Is there a plan for the dmen?

Well more trades can still happen as well as possible signings..but everyone will have to realize that signings will have to be overpayments in order to get them...

Also who is to say that having Souray, Whitney, Gilbert, Peckham, Chorney and insert name (maybe Hamhuis) is all that bad next year.

What happened to Smid, Strudwick and Aaron Johnson? Who is to say that they aren't in the mix for next year too. There was a lot of complaining that we had too many puck movers and not enough grunts on the back end anyway. Problem solved!

This reminds me of when on NHL 10 I realize I can't afford to pay all my players and made the mistake of having them all UFAs in the same year so I trade them all away for 5 of the top 10 draft picks and restart the cup run. Except not nearly as good.

I'd be happy to take over the team if Tambo would kindly step aside.

But seriously, I like where this team could be heading in three years as this is a good start for the rebuild as long as the trend continues into the summer. Dump more money ala Moreau, Souray, POS. The key is to NOT sign old overpaid useless antiques (sorry Jagr). I'd love if we were well under the cap for the next two years.

Seems to me many folks here are talking out of both sides of their mouths, here. Rebuilding hurts, anybody thinks otherwise is fooling themselves. Tambo got the value his players were worth. Get over it folks, what Tambo got is what we could get. Next stop, more moves before draft.
Rebuilding is hard and could get harder still.

Agreed. It's too bad that we couldn't move Moreau. imagine how he feels...he couldn't even be traded for a 7th round pick. I would assume he would be bought out in the summer.

Context, people. Context.

Who's to say the trade market wasn't already saturated with aging, fragile, slow skaters who're more than happy to pitch in with a soft shot from the halfwall and a poor third period penalty every other game?

What happened to Smid, Strudwick and Aaron Johnson? Who is to say that they aren't in the mix for next year too. There was a lot of complaining that we had too many puck movers and not enough grunts on the back end anyway. Problem solved!

Yes true, but I think we can do better than Strudwick and I also forgot to mention Smid

So Souray/Whitney/Smid/Gilbert/Peckham/Chorney and UFA (Hamhuis?)

Who knows maybe Plante will be ready or Petry...not likely but one never knows.

See? that's all I'm saying, can we really sit back and say that Tambellini is on the right track and relax knowing that the rebuild is well on it's way? Or do we sit here and prepare for the fact that it will get worse before it gets better?

I know everyone on here has been saying to prepare for a few years before we are winners again, but I was really hoping for next year to at least see some positive turn around...I guess if we land Hamhuis like crash says, the defence doesn't look too bad and he even forgot to mention Smid! But then if we had injuries, we'd be screwed! Hopefully it doesn't mean that Tambo is thinking of going after Cam Fowler instead of Taylor Hall with the first pick!

I guess I will just have to get used to the fact that we will be kinda bad for a couple of years...it just seems that this year has sucked so bad, and the years before this were bad too, aren't we due for some good news?

Seems to me many folks here are talking out of both sides of their mouths, here. Rebuilding hurts, anybody thinks otherwise is fooling themselves. Tambo got the value his players were worth. Get over it folks, what Tambo got is what we could get. Next stop, more moves before draft.
Rebuilding is hard and could get harder still.

You mean harder than having ONE NHL calibre defenceman in the lineup to play Chicago hard? Or having two AHL goalies in net hard? Seriously we are going to be AWFUL but let's look forward. Some salary has been shed and if they don't mess it up we could turn it around.

Anyone else see the ridiculous nature of Grebs netting a 2nd rounder and Staios a 3rd?

~Maybe we should have offered Grebs to Sutter and see what he'd give us~

Do you require that it all happens right this minute? Kind of unrealistic, don't you think?

Don't the Oilers need some defencemen to play the rest of this season? The farm is basically empty of all D... The big club has two NHL defencemen dressed for tonight (if you count Strudwick), and the trade deadline is over... What happens if there are more injuries?

Whitney is better than gilbert so I believe he will be our #1 D-man, and with the exodus of half of our Def does that mean we will be taking fowler with our first pick?? God I hope Tambs wouldnt be that stupid.

See? that's all I'm saying, can we really sit back and say that Tambellini is on the right track and relax knowing that the rebuild is well on it's way? Or do we sit here and prepare for the fact that it will get worse before it gets better?

I know everyone on here has been saying to prepare for a few years before we are winners again, but I was really hoping for next year to at least see some positive turn around...I guess if we land Hamhuis like crash says, the defence doesn't look too bad and he even forgot to mention Smid! But then if we had injuries, we'd be screwed! Hopefully it doesn't mean that Tambo is thinking of going after Cam Fowler instead of Taylor Hall with the first pick!

I guess I will just have to get used to the fact that we will be kinda bad for a couple of years...it just seems that this year has sucked so bad, and the years before this were bad too, aren't we due for some good news?

Don't the Oilers need some defencemen to play the rest of this season? The farm is basically empty of all D... The big club has two NHL defencemen dressed for tonight (if you count Strudwick), and the trade deadline is over... What happens if there are more injuries?

Well they picked up Johnson and Whitney. They have Gilbert, Strudwick, Chorney, Peckham, Motin, Arsene.

Seems as though we have enough...there's only 20 games to go and this season is long gone so what's the rush?

Springfields season is done too...i'm sure they can find some fill ins from the ECHL for the rest of this year.

So you're saying we shouldn't make any trades because we might lose tonight? I think the whole point is to get the 1/2 draft pick this year. Anyway, players don't usually play until they at least get a morning skate with the team.

besides, there is no way to expect a win tonight anyway so what do we lose?

the question is, what has Tambo have on Nashvile and Calgary to get so much?